Feed-cutter



(No Model.)

D. FRESH.

FEED CUTTER.

No. 406.896. Patented July 16, 1889.

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DIEDRICII FRESE, Ob LAMOILLE, ILLINOIS.

FEED' CUTTER.

-SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 406,896, dated July 16, 1889.

Application filed January 24, 1889.

lie it known that; l, DIEDIHCH FREsE, a citizen of the United States, residing at lLamoille, in the count of llureau and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful lniprovements in l eed-Cntters, of which the foli lowing is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to an improved feedcutter; and it consists in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The object of my invention is to provide a machine which will quickly cut ear-corn with or without husks into a form applicable for feeding purposes, and at the same time to mangle or break the same, thus rendering it more desirable for food. I attain this object by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views, and in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section. Fig. 2 is a top plan view with cover removed, and Fig. I} is a detail view of the knives. Fig. 4 is a detail view of one of the fingers.

In the drawings, A re n-escorts the frame of the machine, and B the legs or supports. Located at the rear of the frame and secured thereto is an inclined conveyer-trough A, having a lateral cross-piece or partition a and a roller (4 at its exterior or outer end. This trough A is braced and held in place by braces a extending from the lower part of the le upward. The trough is divided into a series of parallel (annpartments formed by partitions a which are secured to its bottom and project upward and extend the entire length of the trough and into the body of the machine, terminating near its center. A roller 1) is mounted in the frame at the head of the conveyor-trough, its periphery being slightly above the bottom of the trough. Another roller I) is journaled in the frame near its center at the ends of the partitions a. ()ver rollers a, b, and Z1 travel endless iron chains t, there being as many chains as there are compartments. These chains C have projections or teeth t: on their outer faces.

$eria] No. 297,364. (No model.)

i) represents an obliqucly-disposed cross 1 piece secured to the upper edges of the frame near the rear thereof. cross-piece are loosely held dowiiwardly-in- On the top of this clined fingers (I, having eoncavod. under inner faces. These fingers are arranged, rc-

speetively, over the compartments and chains.

Thev are loosely held in place by bolts, as (1', pa, ng through their upper ends and the cross-piece. The degree of movement of the fingers is governed by the adjustment of the nuts on the top of the bolts (1. The openings through which the bolts pass admit of a considerable vertical movement of the lower or inner ends of the fingers, as shown in dotted lines, Fig, .l.

To normally hold the fingers down and yet permit of their upward movement, pins (Z are secured to the cross-piece .D, which extend up through openin in the fingers, their outer ends being surrounded by spiral springs d", abutting against nuts on the top of the pins and the upper face of the fingers.

Located adjacent to the end of the lingers and chains isarecta-nguiar shaft E,journaled in the frame On this shat't are secured the knives e, which are formed of steel in substantially U shape, one arm being made fast to the shaft. The knives have sharp cutting-edges, and are arranged alternately on the shaft in pairs at right angles to the preceding pair, the members of each pair being directly opposite each other and opposite the ends of the compartments of the conveyor trough.

The shaft E has a pulley--\vheel F on its outer end and a pinion f on its opposite end, meshing with a pinion g secured to a shaft (l, which extends across the machine and has a sprocket-wheel g on its opposite end, over which passes a chain 11, which also passes over sproekct-wheels 7L and 71 on the ends of roller 11 and roller 1, which latter is located at the lowerend of an elevator K at; the front of the machine. This elevator K is provided with a carrier or belt is, having eross-picccs A" thereon, the belt passing over roller 1 at the lower end and a roller 1' at the upper end of the elevator. 'ielow the knives and ends of the lingers a chute or hopper L, which conducts the material onto the elevator, from Whence it is discharged into any suitable reccptacle.

A chaii'i-tightcner M is placed on-the frame, it consisting of an arm m, having a series of holes in its end, in which is placed a rollerbearing shaft, the chain traveling over the roller on the shaft, the shaft being held in place by a nut on the inner faceof the arm. It will thus be seen that as the ear-corn is placed in the conveyer-trough the projections c on the chains 0 carry them up and force them under the concaved ends of the fingers, which gather and hold them until they are struck by the knives. The cars of corn are thereby cut up into small pieces and fall onto the hopper below. The cap or top prevents the cut portions from flying out of the machine. The arrangement of the springs on the fingers allows of their slightly yielding, thereby relieving the machine and knives of the shock caused by the impact of the knives.

I am aware that many minor changes in the construction and arrangements of the parts of my machine may be made and substituted for those shown and described without in the least departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a feed-cutter, the combination, with the frame, of the inclined conveyer-trough having parallel compartments therein, yielding fingers above the compartments, shaft E, having knives arranged thereon, the endless chains traveling in the conveyor-trough and beyond the same, having projections thereon, the partitions c6, and the gearing for moving the several parts, substantially as described.

2. In a feed-cutter, the combination, with the frame, of an inclined conveyer-trough having endless chains traveling therein and beyond its end, which are provided with projections, the partitions a the inclined yielding fingers above the chains in close'proximity thereto, a rectangular shaft at the end of the conveyer-trough, and fingers and knives arranged on the shaft, and gearing for operating the several parts, substantially as described.

clined conveyer-trough, of the endless chains extending beyond the trough having projections thereon, the partitions a the inclined yielding fingers having concave under faces, the shaft E, the U-shaped knives arranged alternatelyon the shaft, the hopper below the knives, the elevator into which the hopper discharges, and gearing for operating the several parts, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the frame and inclined conveyer-trough, of the obliquely disposed cross-piece, the fingers adjustably secu red thereon, the pins (liextendin g through the erosspiece and fingers, spiral springs surrounding the pins, nuts on the ends of the pins, the endless chains in the conveyertrough extending beyond the same, the rotatin g knives arranged at the ends of the fingers,

and gearing for operating the knives and chains, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DIE DRICII FRESE.

"itnesses:

FRED. (j. RANKIN, O. Gossn'rr.

3. The combination, with the frame and in- 

